For the rest of us on a budget...

By now, most of you have held your breath at some recent posts, showing breathtaking furniture, art, lighting, and antique finds. All that is great when you have the budget and inclination - but it is also great just to learn. What we can take from these furnishings items that range from Iconic to groundbreaking to just plain fabulous - we can learn so much about the look, shape & form, upholstery principles, the origins, the how and why.

When we set out to purchase things within our budget and other constraints, we can certainly draw on this knowledge base to make determinations about; quality, style, proportions, durability, and indeed, future worth.

Here, the first item that comes to mind might be a sofa. So often this “biggest” piece of furniture seems to be the item that can spark trepidation about a large purchase. First of all, let’s dispel the notion of “Purchase” and really get to the realisation of ‘investment”. You are actually investing your time, money and energy into a home furnishings item that is among the most intimate, most used, the most up-close furniture besides our beds. Here, I suggest a few options to show my thinking process when helping a Client with the choice of a sofa.

For the “Living Room” - not always, but generally these days, the Living Room is really not used much and as I tease: “Just for taking prom pictures…” The sofa does not need to be the most sturdy, the most durable. It does need to have a great look, a great fabric covering, but it does not have to endure heavy use. For anyone that really desires a $20,000 sofa, I can do it - I would have to work at it, but I could do it.

In the $1800 - $2000 Range - (below) Available from various product lines, fashionable and on-trend sofas that look great. Here is a sample sofa, but notable features would be; less tailoring and more exposed wood sections, Marshall Spring units or “no-sag” labels, and poly-foam core cushions. The warranties vary, from on-line 30 day warranty up to some companies with a 1 year warranty. This sofa offers only the one finish, and perhaps 7 choices in fabric coverings. This is a great value if longevity is not needed.

In the $2800 - $3800 Range - (below) by a very popular mid-priced brand, Bernhardt is a very well known American company, this sofa is called the Carver. The dimensions are great, the construction is solid with features such as; Sinuous Spring base, Spring Down seat cushions, Blend Down back cushions, Stainless steel legs. Priced in the $2800 - $3500 range depending on fabrics. This is for moderately used spaces for example more “adult” use or a less used space. The Spring down seat cushion is notable here.

In the $4200 - $6500 Range -(below) by one of America’s most respected brands for quality, this Highland House Sofa is called the Ward. The dimensions, the construction all add up to a more quality product that features; Kiln dried hardwoods, dowels and screws, 8-way hand tied spring system, spring-down wrapped seat cushions and many more options that would let me call this sofa “A Tank,,,” Priced in the $4200 - $5500 range depending on fabrics.. This is for the more heavily used areas than can hold up to the functions of daily living. Here the warranty matters - One year full warranty and 10 Years on the frame(s) and springs.

In the $6500 - $9000 Range - (below) A leader in very fine furniture - exclusively through the trade, Ebanista is known for nuanced styling, exquisite tailoring, and of course the very best in construction. Here, the Piedmont Sofa is a tour-de-force in classic style. The dimensions are very generous, and the scale with the proportions really speak to the very timeless style here. All the features like; Kiln dried rock maple, Eight-way hand tied springs, spring down cushions and engineering details that raise this to a level I call “Generational Furniture”. This sofa would likely only want to be re-covered in time, and should not need any upholstery re-worked as low cost sofas would. The available fabrics through Ebanista are among the very finest, that only add to the durability. It goes without saying that they feature one of the top warranties available.